Athletics Features

GSW’s golf team ended their 2020-21 season as National Runner-Up at the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf National Championship in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Play came down to the final pairing and the final three holes of the tournament, with GSW falling just 1 stroke short of Arkansas Tech University. The Hurricanes’ magical run included a 3-2 win in the quarterfinals over No. 5 seed Texas A&M University-Commerce and a 2-2-1 tiebreaker victory in the semifinals over the top-seeded University of Indianapolis. This was the fourth trip to the National Championship since GSW joined the NCAA in 2006.

GSW’s men’s basketball team was selected as the No. 6 seed in the 2021 South Regional of the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship in Valdosta, Ga. They fell only three points short of the No. 3 seed Lee University in the Quarterfinals with a final score of 72-69. With second-year Coach Aaron Coombs at the helm, this was the Hurricanes’ third NCAA Tournament appearance and the first since 2014. Freshman Jarrett Adderton, junior Devon Higgs and junior Donte Tatum were All-PBC Tournament Team selections. Tatum was also an All-PBC First Team selection and named to the 2020 NCAA DII South District First Team. GSW was the only school in the PBC to have both teams qualify for the tournament.

The women’s basketball team competed in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament for the first time in school history this year. Under the leadership of second-year Coach Justin Payne, the Lady Canes finished their season with a 9-6 record and 7-4 conference record despite the shortened season. The team entered the PBC Tournament as the fourth seed and fell to the No. 1 seeded and No. 2 ranked Lander University during the PBC Semifinals. Junior Lex Chatman and freshman Jaleah Storr were named to the Peach Belt All-Conference Team. Chatman was named to the second team and Storr was named to the third team. GSW was the only school in the PBC to have both men’s and women’s teams qualify for the tournament.

On March 6, 2021, GSW officially cut the ribbon on its newly constructed Baseball and Softball Indoor Training Facility, the first facility of its kind in the Peach Belt Conference. The new building allows the baseball and softball teams to practice when weather hinders their ability to train on the field. The $1.2 million facility was fully funded by the Canes 360 Program, the GSW Foundation and donations from GSW Athletics supporters.

The women’s soccer team capped off their best season in program history this November. The Lady Canes advanced to the 2021 Peach Belt Conference tournament before being eliminated after the first round. The team broke the record for wins, claiming three more victories than the previous winningest GSW team - all while playing five fewer games. The Lady Canes were led by Head Coach Kerry Edwards in her first season at GSW. The McKinney, Texas native comes to GSW from NCAA Division I member Northwestern State University. The Lady Canes will lose only one senior this season and look to improve next year with all of their returning players.

Upgrade your Canes 360 or corporate partnership! Gain an appreciation for the quickness, athleticism, and efforts of our basketball players by securing your basketball court side seat today. The premium leather seating is now located on the sideline across from the team benches and along the baseline by the home team bench. By purchasing a court side seat, the name of your choice will be listed on the chair back cover. Contact Signe Coombs at (229) 815-6392 to reserve your seat.

GSW’s second annual Hail Storm event, originally schedule for 2020, was held on May 7, 2021 at Providence Springs Plantation. The evening generated over $180,000 for GSW Athletics, which will ensure enhancement of the student-athlete experience and continue to put the Hurricanes on an upward trajectory. During the event, 2,000 golf balls were dropped from a helicopter, with the closest ball to the target taking home the top prize of $25,000 and second, third, and last place earning generous prizes as well. Mark your calendars for the third annual Hail Storm event on Friday, May 6, 2022 and keep an eye on gswcanes.com/hailstorm for more information as it becomes available.

The men’s soccer team closed out their best season in program history this November. The Hurricanes finished with a school record of six wins and a school record of four Peach Belt Conference wins under the leadership of Coach Eric Crawford. In all, the 2021 team was the most successful men’s soccer team in school history and first to qualify for the PBC tournament in the school’s history. After a record-breaking year, the Hurricanes will return all of their starters next season and look to continue the program’s climb.